Under One Sky, One Destiny
by Dream Adept
Summary: All beings and all worlds share one sky, and some beings under that sky may share one destiny. Roxas is about to find out just how complicated it can be to be under that sky. SoKai, Roxamine, Tequa, RikuXi. Kingdom Hearts in a parallel universe. -to be completely revamped at some point-
1. Prologue

Well, I'm back after a long time. I've been quite stuck on my current Kingdom Hearts story The Key Struggle and I haven't thought of what could possibly come next, and I had this epic idea after doodling a Roxas/Namine pic for another story. Hope it's okay o_o Also, I apologize for the rather odd summary... I'm not very good at summaries.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

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><p><span>Quick Character Bios (so you don't get confused through the story)<span>

Roxas: A commoner boy who lives with his twin brother in a small apartment in the Twilight District. He is an orphan whose parents died a while ago in the great Keyblade War, but he and his twin Sora have been able to take care of themselves quite sufficiently. His hobbies include eating sea-salt ice cream with friends, skateboarding and writing, especially journal writing. Roxas attends Kingdom High School with his brother regularly. The foggy memories of his past hide many dark secrets within him, and powers he knows nothing of.

Namine: The niece of the acclaimed scientist Ansem the Wise. She lives with her uncle in a large mansion on the border between Twilight District and the Neverwas City. Namine is an avid artist and a very skilled one, but she has strange and mysterious powers so great that there are some who wish to exploit them. Occasionally, she has been known to predict the future through her art, though she often does it subconsciously. She is homeschooled and as a result is somewhat shy and quiet.

Sora: The older twin brother of Roxas, if not more immature. He is an orphan whose parents died a while ago in the great Keyblade War, but Sora and Roxas have managed well so far. While Roxas is better at cleaning and cooking, Sora does the outside jobs, such as buying and carrying groceries or running errands to gain extra money (though they do get support money from orphan funding). He too makes a hobby out of eating sea-salt ice cream with friends on the Sunset Wall, a favourite meeting place. He attends Kingdom High regularly, completely oblivious to his great destiny, soon to come to light along with his growing powers.

Kairi: A peppy commoner who lives with her friend Olette's family. She is close friends with Sora, Riku and Roxas because she too attends Kingdom High, and enjoys going with them to eat sea-salt ice cream. She was an orphan long before many of her friends, for her parents died of unknown causes a long time ago, so she doesn't remember much of them. Kairi has a younger sister whose exact whereabouts are always unknown, for she lives on the streets. Kairi's past and fate are closely intertwined with another's who may ultimately determine Kairi's true identity, buried in her past.

Xion: An orphan girl who lives on the streets. She is part of a group of street orphans called the Sunset Gang. The Sunset Gang have much knowledge of many happenings in the Kingdom, even things that aren't revealed to public. Xion enjoys the wild, adventurous life, but she sometimes visits her older sister Kairi to say hello and see how things are going. Although she sometimes must steal in order to survive, her intentions are good. She has an unusual gift that allows her to see certain things others may not, and she is connected to the destinies of others.

Axel: The son of the Governor's personal blacksmith. Axel is an enigmatic man whose favourite phrase is, "Got it memorized?" He befriended Roxas when Roxas saved him from being run over by a kid on a skateboard. Despite their age differences, the two have become close buddies, and when Axel isn't busy, he sometimes eats sea-salt ice cream with Roxas and Xion, his other close friend. It's never sure of what the redhead is exactly thinking, for he seems to know plenty of things that could put many people in danger. Little does he know of the great role he will play in a great destiny that's about to unfold.

Riku: A buff teen who is close friends with Sora and Kairi. He was given to the Twilight Orphanage when he was a young boy, so it is unknown who his true parents are. He attends Kingdom High and is a great help at the orphanage, doing work that involves strength and stamina. Despite his pessimism, the younger children of the orphanage love him since he helps them with school work and plays with them. Riku possesses a dangerous power not found in many, powers best left untouched.

Terra: A young man training to become a Keyblade Master under the instruction of the great Master Eraqus. He is devoted to his learning and wishes to be someone who can protect others from harm. His two best friends are two other apprentices, Aqua and Ventus, the latter who sees him as an older brother, and they live together at Eraqus' home in Neverwas City. The three of them are also learning how to properly attend to the higher ranked people in the Castle that Neverwas. Lately, the governor has been keeping an eye on Terra, seeing some kind of potential in him... but what?

Aqua: A gentle mage training to become a Keyblade Master under the instruction of the great Master Eraqus. She acts like an older sister to Ventus and is close friends with Terra. She does not enjoy speaking much about her past because it involved her father, who disowned her for possessing magic, blaming her for the death of her mother. Despite that, she tends to keep her chin up in the most difficult times. As the only girl in the household, Aqua tends to take care of the cooking, the men being somewhat incompetent in that area. Aqua will play a role in the lives of many, without even realizing it.

Ventus: A youth whose past is just as mysterious as his future. He is currently suffering from long term amnesia and was brought to Eraqus when he was a broken boy by a strange figure in a black coat. Although he, like Terra, dreams of becoming a Keyblade Master in order to help others, Eraqus is worried about his wellbeing and is unsure if he wishes to allow Ventus to become a Master. Ventus is best friends with Terra and Aqua and likes to make them laugh. He is sad about his past and not being able to remember, but his current focus is on the present. His past will lead him to his fate, which ultimately involves people from his past.

Governor Xehanort: The temporary ruler of the Kingdom. Although Kingdom is supposed to be ruled only by one of royal blood, it needed someone to lead, and Xehanort was naturally the senate's first choice, because he is respected by many for his wisdom and cool head. Kingdom still lies in some disrepair and poverty because of the Keyblade War and other threats, but Xehanort has managed to build it up slowly. He has seemingly good intentions, but he seems to have more sinister things in mind...

Vanitas: The errand boy of Xehanort. He's a strange boy with a constant smirk on his face and an air of arrogance about him. He is apparently an orphan that Xehanort met a while ago and took under his wing. While not much is said of Xehanort's sidekick, Vanitas seems to be working with his master on some bigger, evil plan.

Marluxia: A deceptive man with a pretty face that hides ugly motives. He is the leader of an underground Mafia group called the Organization, whose goals are unknown. However, it is clear that he intends to find a way to capture the girl, Namine, in order to use her for their big plan, which somehow involves the fabled weapon called a Keyblade and a legend called Kingdom Hearts. Just what does Marluxia plan to do with the rest of the Organization?

Crown (my OC): A mysterious stranger, who wears a cloak that is similar but different from the Black Coat, with no origins in Kingdom whatsoever. He comes and goes as he pleases by opening up a shadowy portal. Crown seems to be a delivery boy of some kind, but of what? And for whom?

King Mickey: A small mouse with a big heart who hails from the neighbouring Disney region. He has sensed something troubling is about to happen in Kingdom, so he went to investigate and is currently staying at the Twilight Inn. Despite his royal status, he wishes to be treated normally, if a human _could _treat a mouse normally.

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><p><span>Prologue<span>

In the dark chamber, the only source of light radiated softly from a small pool on a pedestal in the center of the room. It cast a dim, ghostly glow that rippled and danced. Standing in front of the water was a cloaked figure, completely clad in a black coat. The figure stared into the pool, watching as images unfolded before his eyes. Another person approached him, but this person was wearing a brown cloak instead of a black one.

" I hope you're happy, now that I'm doing this," the black cloaked figure said coldly.

The new person smiled cryptically. " Now, now, Crown," he replied softly, "you know how important this is for our world. You're the only hope."

" And when I'm finished, you'll finally send me back?"

" That's right."

Crown sighed. " Cross... I mean, Kizel. This Namine... does she really have the gift?"

"Yes." The youth named Kizel turned to him. " If you do this, you can save our world... and this one too."

Crown gazed back into the pool, his fiery red eyes sharp and concentrated. " The prophecy..." he said quietly. " Could you... could you repeat it? I just want to make sure I haven't forgotten."

Kizel sighed, then, in a sing-song voice, he began to chant:

" _One sky, one destiny,_

_ There will come a day when the key must rise,_

_ Darkness will engulf, raze, destroy,_

_ But from the darkness, light will be born,_

_ Three lights of the earth, three lights of the sea,_

_ And three lights of the wind and sky above,_

_ They will be united by the sound of waves,_

_ Under one sky, one destiny."_

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><p>Please R&amp;R! Oh, and sorry for the super long bio in the beginning o –o I donn't want anyone to get confused during the story, but I apologize! And I'm sorry for the uber short prologue as well x_x hope you enjoy...<p> 


	2. Destined to Meet?

All right, here's chapter 1 for all you ficcers out there (I know that's not a word lol)

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

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><p><span>Ch 1: Destined to Meet?<span>

Roxas sat up abruptly from his bed, breathing hard. " Dammit," he muttered. " Another nightmare..." He knelt on the edge of his bed and pushed open the curtains to get a good look outside. The morning sun still had yet to peek over the horizon, but at least it let on some nice soft lights. Twilight, in his opinion, was prettier, though.

In the bed beside him, Sora groaned and sunk deeper into the blankets. " Clozakurtns, Rox," he mumbled sleepily.

His twin chuckled and threw his pillow at the other boy. " Maybe it'll get you up so you can help with breakfast," Roxas teased. " Lazy-chops."

Roxas rose and stretched. " Only two more weeks until summer vacation," he said aloud to no one in particular. He grabbed his clothes and changed swiftly. In only a matter of five minutes, he had brushed his teeth, washed his face, and managed to comb a few bed-head tangles out of his spiky hair. It was a routine that had been embedded into his life, so he didn't even have to think while doing it. Roxas left his twin brother behind and padded into the kitchen/living room space.

It was always Roxas' job to do the cooking and cleaning – he was just better at it that his dorky brother. Sora usually did the outdoor jobs, like running errands, or buying groceries.

Breakfast was always a breeze; he popped a couple of slices of bread into the toaster and poured some milk, then took out the cream cheese and jam. Sora stumbled into the kitchen just as Roxas was setting out the toast.

" Good morning, sleepyhead," Roxas said teasingly. " I hope you had a good rest."

Sora laughed and punched his twin lightly. " I did, until you blinded me this morning. Ooh, cream cheese and strawberry jam, my favourite!"

" Sora, it's raspberry."

The spiky-headed teen shrugged as he finished spreading the jam. " It all tastes the same to me!" With that, he took a huge chomp out of the toast. " Mmm."

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><p>Kingdom High was only about three blocks away from the apartment where Roxas and Sora lived, so they weren't worried about being late as they walked along. The sky was a beautiful blue, and Roxas felt at ease. This was his life, even if it wasn't the happiest. He figured he'd like it better that way.<p>

" Life feels great today," he said out of the blue as he and Sora walked. His brother snickered.

" That sounds cheesy! But you're right." Then Sora frowned. " But wait, doesn't life feel great _every _day?"

Roxas adjusted his backpack and shrugged. " I dunno. I can't believe we'll be starting eleventh grade next year," he said, changing the subject.

The two walked on down the road, discussing the courses they've chosen for next year, when Roxas' eye caught something. He stopped listening to Sora for a moment and looked at the street corner ahead. Standing there, right on the curb, was a girl about his age. Her pale blonde hair looked like corn silk in the morning sunshine, and her skin was flawlessly white. Roxas found himself hoping she'd look at him.

Suddenly, she stepped forward onto the street, or rather, she seemed to have stumbled onto it abruptly. A cyclist rolling downhill at high speed toward her rang his bell in alarm.

" Hey!"

In a flash, Roxas dashed forward and yanked her backward, resulting in the two of them falling backward. " Watch it, girl!" the bad tempered cyclist shouted as he zoomed by them.

" Ow, ow, ow," Roxas gritted, rubbing his right elbow, which he bumped on the ground. Then he turned to the girl, who had quickly scrambled to her knees. " A-are you okay, miss?"

" Roxas! That was awesome!" Sora ran quickly to his side. " Oh! Aren't you Ansem the Wise's niece?" he asked the girl.

She nodded. " I hope I didn't hurt you!" she said to Roxas worriedly. " I'm so sorry..."

" No, no, it's fine, " Roxas said, his face feeling strangely hot. " You should be more careful when standing so close to the road." He stood up and offered her his hand, and the girl took it and pulled herself up. She blinked in surprise, then shook her head.

" I'm Namine," said the girl shyly.

Roxas smiled. " I'm Roxas," he said. " And this is my twin brother, Sora."

" Hiya!" Sora gave Namine one of his goofiest smiles, which made her laugh. Roxas liked the sound of her laugh – it reminded him of the brook in the Forest, a place he sometimes went to get some peace and quiet.

" Oh! I see you have to get to school," she exclaimed.

Roxas' eyes widened. " School! Right, we better get going," he said, embarrassed that he had forgotten. She began to walk backwards. " I'll see you guys around?" she asked, with a tinge of hope in her voice.

Before Roxas could stop him, Sora pointed up the road. " We live in the apartments in that direction," he said cheerily. " See ya around, Namine."

She smiled. " Okay. Thank you, Roxas, for saving me. Goodbye!" Then she ran off and was gone.

Already, Roxas missed her presence. " You didn't have to tell her where we lived," he said, slightly annoyed, as he picked up his dropped backpack. He tried to ignore his elbow, which had begun to sting.

Sora chuckled. " C'mon, Roxas, it's written all over your face. You like her, don't ya? You're all red!"

" Shut up," Roxas laughed, trying to cover up his embarrassment. " How could I just randomly like a stranger? I'm not that kind of guy, you know."

" Hm, true. Race you to school!" Sora suddenly cried. The twins laughed as they sped down the street. The image of her stayed in his mind.

_Her eyes, _he thought in wonder, _they're like... the clear, sparkling of the ocean, reflecting the sky above. _Just the thought of her eyes gave him a speed boost, and he sped ahead of his brother, thinking of Namine.

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><p>As Roxas and Sora ran to school, Namine was walking back to the tram stop. She was feeling a little light-headed, so going back home seemed like a good idea. She could go out again later in the afternoon or evening if it suited her.<p>

" Roxas," she whispered. The name felt good in her mouth, like creamy candy. _Roxas. Sora. Strange, Roxas is an anagram of Sora, with an X added to it. And his eyes... they're so beautiful, like the colour of the sky._

She sat down at the stop's bench, thinking about the encounter. So many things were running through her head at once that she had to make a mental list in order to organize it.

First, she was sure that her encounter with Roxas and Sora wasn't an accident. She had been there, after all, because when she woke earlier that morning, she had had the urge to go to the Twilight District, because... something was telling her that she would meet someone important. So she obviously listened, and went, by sneaking out of home while her uncle was busy in his basement lab. Could Roxas be the one she was destined to meet? It seemed like it.

Next, why was it that, prior to Roxas dragging her out of the bike's path, she had felt awful, faint, even just for a second? A wave of sickness had passed over her, and that was why she stumbled onto the road. It was likely an omen, but of what, Namine didn't know – having great powers has its limits.

And lastly, she was sure that there was something big about Roxas. Something special. When he took her hand, a strange feeling like an electric shock coursed through her. It wasn't painful, but it was quite alarming, and it was difficult to compose herself in front of the boys, but she somehow managed it.

" Now, what could that be about?" Namine murmured aloud.

She pulled out a little pocket sketchbook she always kept and began doodling in it. When she finished her sketch, she looked at it in surprise. It was a picture of a strange object, but on closer inspection it appeared to be a key.

_I better look it up when I get home. _By the time she got on the tram, though, she had forgotten all about her sketch. She could not get Roxas out of her head.

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><p>And there we have it! Is it love at first sight? I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, albeit a short one ._. Please R&amp;R, it would be really helpful!<p> 


	3. An Anxious Moment

In Sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah... Oh O_O *whirles around* sorry, riiight, I should be presenting my next chapter to you now x_x here you go, people.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

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><p><span>Ch 2: An Anxious Moment <span>

After what seemed like an eternity, math class finally ended, and school was over for the day. The class stayed in after the bell for a few moments while the math teacher reminded everyone that final exams would be starting soon ("Oh, great! My life's gonna be hell these next few days!" Sora had screamed with the other moaning students). Then Roxas and Sora finally left the classroom and headed to their lockers.

" Why do tests and exams have to exist?" Sora moaned as he shoved his math textbook back into his locker.

" Maybe so we'd be smart?" Roxas suggested. His elbow started to smart painfully. Maybe he scraped it that morning, but he hadn't bothered to check.

A few lockers away, Tidus scoffed at Roxas' comment. " Smart? Who needs smart when we can just have fun all day and play blitzball? Besides, the exams are probably gonna easy, so chin up, Sora!" He walked over and gave Sora a hearty clap to the back before walking off.

" Man, not even exams can bring Tidus down," Sora muttered. " Hey, Riku and Kairi and I are gonna go to the arcade, you wanna come?"

Roxas glanced around, especially towards the window. " No thanks, I got something else to do," he replied absentmindedly. " You go on ahead. I'll see you at home."

" All right. See ya later."

As soon as Roxas exited the building, he made a beeline for the candy shop labelled "Sweet Factory" across the street from the school (the principal didn't like that, but who _could_ kick out a candy shop at will?). A familiar girl sat against the building, sucking on a lollipop.

" Xion, what are you doing here?" Roxas asked as he approached. " And I hope you didn't steal that."

The raven-haired girl stood up. " Akshel asked foh you," the orphan replied with the candy still in her mouth, then she tugged it out. " And of course I didn't steal this! The shop owner gave it to me. Must be my clothes. Maybe I should look more ragtag to attract more pity."

The two friends laughed and began to walk down a street heading north, where Neverwas City lay. As soon as they reached the tram stop, Roxas pulled out his student's pass and 5 munny for Xion's fare. They talked as they waited.

" So, why does Axel need me?"

Xion smiled. " He finally finished that new skateboard he wanted to give you! I saw it myself, it's pretty cool."

" That's great!"

They stepped onto the tram and once they had found a seat, Roxas rolled up his sweater sleeve to look at his elbow. He hissed in annoyance when he saw that the inside of his sleeve was spotty with blood and that his elbow looked like a mess. Xion gasped.

" Where'd you get that?"

Roxas was about to attempt to lick it, but then he thought better of it. " I got it saving a girl, so it's nobly won."

Xion took something out of her pocket. It was a tin of salve. " It's made of mendingmoss," she explained as Roxas stared at it doubtfully. " This stuff's got great healing properties."

Roxas was still doubtful, but he let her spread the sticky smooth mixture onto his elbow. He sighed as a cooling sensation immediately took the pain away. " Wow, that feels great. Thanks, Xion," he said gratefully.

Suddenly, there seemed to be a commotion at the front of the tram. It came to a slow stop; people were murmuring or shouting in alarm, but so many people were standing now to get out of the tram that Roxas was unable to see what was going on. He thought he heard a deep voice say loudly, " Everyone off the train, or I shoot."

" Mafia!" Xion hissed. " Roxas, we have to get out of here!"

" Huh?" He barely managed to grab his bag when Xion yanked him out of the seat. The two of them, being shorter than most adults on the tram, managed to squeeze through the crowd. Roxas managed to get a glimpse of the threat – a tall man completely clad in a black coat, but much of his face was covered by a tightly drawn hood. He held the weirdest looking guns in his hands. Then they were out, and the two of them ran.

" Good thing we're almost to Neverwas," Xion panted. She quickly licked her lollipop stick and jammed it into her pocket for collection. " You don't mind walking the rest of the way, right?"

" It's fine." Roxas looked over his shoulder. " Xion, look."

The tram began to trundle away in the opposite direction it was supposed to be going. It was going unusually fast, and Roxas found himself worrying about anyone that happened to be in its way.

" Must've been a hijacker," Xion said matter-of-factly. " I hope he's not going to blow up any people though, because that's what mafia do sometimes."

Roxas stared at her. " How the heck do you know so much about an underground criminal organization?" he asked incredulously.

" I'm a street orphan, remember? _And _I'm also part of a good gang of kids. We know how to get around the city, and nobody ever notices us. I've learned a lot, living out here." She said it almost wistfully, and Roxas wondered if she missed her sister, Kairi.

When walking from the Twilight District into Neverwas City, you automatically knew where the border was _exactly, _because it was like walking from white to black. Twilight's paths and roads are soft and sandy coloured, but Neverwas' roads were dark and grey. Even the building styles changed. Roxas still couldn't get used to the feeling that he was stepping out of his world and was walking into an entirely different, more dangerous world. One didn't walk with leisure in a place like Neverwas – despite its fame, there were many people around who didn't wish others well, and Roxas was aware of that.

After walking for a while, they finally came upon Axel's home, which was more like an apartment above a small shop that Axel owned. Relieved to finally be somewhere safe, Roxas went up to the side door in the alley and rung the doorbell firmly, three times. He could hear it jingle in the distance.

" Hey, Roxas..." Xion said quietly. " Um, how old are you?"

Roxas turned to her, an eyebrow raised. " Weirdest question you ever popped out," he remarked, bemused.

" Just answer it, please."

He wondered why she had turned her face slightly, but he answered, " I'm fifteen. I thought you already knew that."

Xion thought for a moment. " So, you know that silver-haired guy, right? The one who's best friends with your brother? He's a year older than you, right?"

" Uh... yeah...?"

" So that mean's I'm two years younger than him!" She seemed pleased with herself, but she was blushing furiously.

Roxas eyed her curiously. " Are you okay Xion? What the heck was that about? Trying to learn math?"

" No!" she cried indignantly. " Noctis teaches me well – "

" Hey, hey, hey! What's up, kids?"

The door had opened and a grinning Axel stood in front of them. The redhead was much taller than the two teens, but his huge mess of spiky red hair made him appear taller than he actually was. He was wiping grease off of his hands. " Come on in," he said cheerily. " And I have your skateboard done, Roxas."

The trio trundles up the stairs and sat down on Axel's couch while he fetched the skateboard from his workroom. A whole collection of items – bags of chips, small hammers, rags, bottles – lay around the living room, but for Roxas, it felt comfortable, familiar; this was, after all, his best friends' home.

" Axel, Roxas rescued a girl today," Xion piped up as Axel entered the room, holding a very respectable skateboard before him. Roxas mouth dropped in amazement.

" You made that?" he asked.

Axel grinned and handed it to him. " A gift for my friend. And don't worry Xion, I haven't forgotten you. I have something here, as a matter of fact. Now, Roxas, tell me about this girl."

Roxas gulped. Now that they were reminding him of the incident, he was worried he would start blushing. " Uh, well, it was almost similar to how I met you, Axel. A bike was about to run her over and I just... pulled her out of the way."

" Pulled? Well, she fall on top of you?" Axel pressed on.

" Uhm, y-yeah..."

Xion laughed. " Woooow, gee Roxas, that must've been real awkward. Was she heavy?"

Roxas was getting the feeling that they would be teasing him about this for a while. " C'mon, Xion," he groaned, "really?"

Axel and Xion laughed. Axel took something out of his pocket. " Here ya go, Xion. Sorry if it's a lot smaller than the gift for Roxas."

It was a little Thalassa shell locket, obviously made of pretty rare materials. " You two take care of those," he warned with a grin on his face. " I saved really rare materials just for them."

Roxas laughed, " Thanks, Axel. Isn't there anything we can give you in return?"

His grin softened to a small smile. " Naw, you two have given me enough."

Suddenly he froze, staring out the window. He ran towards it and stared outside. Xion and Roxas looked at each other, then they too ran to the window.

Roxas gasped. He saw a huge column of smoke in the distance, and although it was clearly very, very far away, he could still make out small glows in the smoke – fire.

" An explosion, I think," Axel noted grimly. " That wasn't there earlier, and there's no way a fire can get that big in a short time."

Xion's eyes widened. " The tram! Roxas, do you think -?"

" Could be," Roxas murmured. " That's Traverse District way over there, isn't it? Wasn't the tram heading there?"

Axel shook his head. " Nothing we can do about that, then. We're too far." Then he sat them down. " Now, tell me about this tram thing. Maybe it'll tell me why you two were late coming here."

Roxas and Xion described the incident as best as they could, with Roxas explaining what he saw of the stranger, while Xion talked about what she knew about possible mafia groups involved in the incident. However, it was Axel who set the record straight.

" It's possible that this mafia group found out about some kind of cargo they didn't want coming in, so they blew it up. After all, Traverse is the center of merchants and trade, so why not blow up the cargo right when it comes in?"

" But who would blow up a bit of cargo unless it's a lot of cargo?"Xion asked confusedly.

" Probably because whoever blew it up wanted it to be totally and utterly destroyed," Axel replied darkly.

The trio was silent for a while. Finally, Roxas broke the silence and said, " I better get going home now. Sora might be wondering where I am."

" Yeah, I better go too." Xion stood and brushed off her sweats and rather baggy t-shirt. " Thank you for the gift, Axel. I love it." She surprised the redhead by giving him a big hug, but Axel accepted it. Roxas laughed.

" Yeah, thanks Axel. See you again."

Roxas and Xion walked down the steps and out the door. " Roxas, you can roll down your sleeve now," she reminded him.

" Oh! Right. I almost forgot." He did so, and noted in satisfaction that his elbow didn't sting when he rolled his sleeve over it. " That stuff works wonders."

" Uh-huh."

They walked in silence, each too deep in their own thoughts. They passed a lot of people along the way, since it was around the time that people were getting off of work, so Neverwas didn't seem as scary.

" I think I know who might be involved with that explosion," Xion said quietly.

Roxas said nothing, but he looked at her curiously. She continued, " You described the stranger as tall, wearing a black coat that was zippered up and the hood was drawn tightly around his face, right?"

" Yes."

" It must be someone from a group called the Organization. But all I know about that mafia group is the name. They do real mysterious things, you know."

" Hm." They stopped at the same place where they entered Neverwas. " I'm going this way," Xion said, pointing to an alleyway. " Bye, Roxas."

" Yeah, you take care."

Roxas put down his skateboard and watched Xion run off into the dark alley. _She can take care of herself, _he told himself, but he couldn't help but worry about his younger friend, seemingly all alone in the colossal, harsh world out there. He put a foot on the skateboard and pushed off. At least his skateboarding skills weren't rusty.

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><p>Hurr hurr, I think Xion has a crush on a certain silver-haired teen. And if some of you out there know Versus XIII, yes, the Noctis I mentioned here is the very same Noctis in that game, albeit a younger version. Wouldn't it be great if he appeared in Kingdom Hearts 3? Please R&amp;R! Thank you for reading o.o<p> 


	4. The Powers and Darkness Within

On a roll with the story... hopefully I can keep it rolling. From now on, I've decided to at least update every Sunday. Hopefully I can carry on with this and not miss a week.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

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><p><span>Ch 3: The Powers and Darkness Within<span>

" Please, Uncle, I only wanted to go out for some fresh air," Namine cried, wringing her shirt with her hands. Ansem sighed heavily from across the desk.

" Namine, you _must _understand, it's very dangerous and worrying if you go outside without my permission. What if some stranger attempted to kidnap you? I would have absolutely no idea how to track you down, and you would be gone forever."

Namine huffed in annoyance. " _Really, _Uncle, I'm not a child anymore! Why are you always protecting me? Do you think I can't take care of myself?"

" It's your _gift_, Namine, don't you understand?" Ansem snapped back, his voice rising.

She pulled back in shock. " My... my gift?" she whispered.

Ansem rubbed his forehead hard. " Namine, I'm so sorry, please, forgive me," he mumbled. He cleared his throat and looked straight at her. " Perhaps I should explain. You understand what I mean by 'gift', right?"

Namine thought for a moment. " You mean... my drawings? Or the... the... strange dreams and visions I sometimes have?"

Ansem nodded. " Namine... I worry for your safety all the time. There are people out there who would like to exploit your powers of prophecy. Also, I'm sure you know of the other powers you have." He raised an eyebrow at her.

" Um... I can sense things... certain things that others can't feel. And sometimes I can do... things." Namine began to feel uncomfortable. She didn't often talk to her uncle about her powers anymore. She used to as a child because she didn't know what was wrong with her, and that scared her. But now... she was sure it would be fine to keep it a secret. Would it?

" I promise I'll be more careful, Uncle," Namine told him sincerely. She stood when her uncle nodded.

" Namine, one more thing..."

" Yes?"

He sighed deeply, and Namine realized how old and weary he suddenly seemed to be. He did indeed seem more like a grandpa than an uncle, but he insisted she call him that. " Namine, I do hope you aren't meeting anybody."

" ... Eh? P-pardon?"

Ansem gazed at her levelly until she finally stuttered an answer. " U-Uncle! Of _course _I'm not meeting with any boy or anything, that's ridiculous!"

He smiled. " I just wanted to make sure, my dear." He stood and embraced her, and Namine hugged back.

" Sorry for making you worry, Uncle," she whispered sadly. Ansem looked down at her and shook his head, smiling.

" Don't blame yourself, Namine. I worry because I care." With that, he and Namine walked out of the study, and Namine went upstairs to her room to draw.

Namine's room was a rather large one, for she was allowed to have the tower room in the mansion. It was quite spacious, with not much furniture – it only contained a soft bed, a rug, a few chairs, a sofa and a desk with a shelf full of her art supplies. The walls and most of the furniture were pure white, with a few designs on some of the chairs and paopu fruits designing her blanket and pillows. Stuck to the walls was an assortment of her art as a child, as well as some more recent ones that were more detailed. She did not, however, post up any prophesised drawings on the wall at all. It's not that she didn't enjoy seeing them, but they made her uncomfortable. They reminded her of how different she really was from normal people.

As she walked across her room, her vision suddenly became hazy. It felt like she was walking through some misty stupor. In a dreamlike daze, she sat at her desk, opened up her sketchbook, took out the pencil crayons and began drawing.

In her mind's eye, she saw two familiar people: Sora and Roxas. They stood back to back, their eyes half closed as though sleepy. An aura of light surrounded Sora. An aura of darkness surrounded Roxas. Then they changed – two other people took their place, two people that looked strikingly similar, but they were older, and the one who had replaced Sora had darker hair. This time the Sora look-alike had the dark aura, the Roxas look-alike had the light aura. They faded almost immediately.

More images flashed through her mind, and her hand subconsciously kept drawing. A boy with long silver hair faded in and out of her mind, leaving behind a trail of both darkness and light. A girl with red hair appeared, and beside her was one with short, black hair. They both had facial features similar to Namine's, and their eyes were the same shade of blue. The scene changed again – three young adults, a woman with blue hair, a buff man with deep brown, a skinny man who was older than the other two with spiky red hair, stood back to back, but at some distance, from each other.

A key-shaped object formed in her mind. _Find the Keyblade, _a voice whispered in her head. _Find the Keyblade, and give it to the sky._

The sound of waves rung gently in her room, and she was abruptly pulled out of her subconscious state. She was back in her own room, in front of her own desk and sketchbook. Namine gaped at her sketchbook in shock. Drawn simply but recognizably were the people she had just seen. And in the center sat a Keyblade.

" So that's what it's called," she breathed. " A Keyblade..."

She slammed her sketchbook shut and quickly stuffed it into her shoulder bag, along with some coloured pencils and her mini notepad. Her uncle was currently in his study now, where all of his rare books and information was kept, so she couldn't go there. For now, she would go to the library. She had to know more about this Keyblade.

Asking for permission seemed out of the question, seeing as her uncle had just spoken to her about it being dangerous for her to be out, but she had to try. After finally convincing her uncle that she was only going to the library in Twilight, Namine left as quickly as possible. Normally, school would be over at this time. She secretly hoped to see Roxas again, but she shook the thoughts away.

" No boys, Namine," she said to herself. " I need to concentrate on keeping myself safe."

Without realizing, she automatically ran her fingers over the lock on the front door of the mansion, seeing no reason to dig through her bag for her keys. At her will, the lock clicked shut.

_I have to stop doing that! _She realized what she had done, but there was no point in trying to cover up. She dashed off down the path and began to walk towards the library. Namine failed to notice the suspicious figure leaning against the wall of the shop across from her. The figure was dressed in a black coat.

* * *

><p>Roxas rolled along the path, enjoying the feeling of the air whipping his face. He hadn't skateboarded for a long time, especially since his last skateboard broke. Occasionally, when he reached a curb that was high enough, Roxas would do a couple of tricks, just to see if he was still able to. They earned him a few claps, laughs and boos along the way, but he ignored them. They were just background noises to him as he sped along, taking a direction that ran along the Neverwas and Twilight border.<p>

He was just about to pass the library when a sweet voice called out to him.

" Roxas!"

Startled, he braked to a stop, stumbling off of his skateboard as he did. He just managed to stop it in time before it rolled into the curb.

" Who -?"

Then he saw. _She _was running towards him.

" I'm so sorry!" Namine gasped. " I didn't mean to surprise you, I'm sorry –"

" No, no, it's fine," Roxas laughed. " I always fall off skateboards. It's part of the hobby. So..." He glanced at her shoulder bag. " What were you calling me for?"

At this, Namine blinked. " Well... I, uh..." She seemed bashful, and her cheeks began to turn a rosy pink, which made her look cute. Roxas mentally slapped himself. _No! Don't think of that stuff. You just met her!_

" You see, I came to the library to research about something," she finally told him. Then she lowered her voice. " I've never heard of it before, but I need to learn about the Keyblade."

Roxas' eyes widened. " That thing? You're going to research that?"

" Do you know a bit about it?" Namine asked eagerly.

" What? Yeah, I know that it's just a legend, a fairy tale," Roxas replied indifferently.

Namine frowned. " No, no, that can't be, otherwise why..." She became lost in thought and went silent. Roxas looked at her inquisitively and asked, " Do you want me to go with you into the library and show you some storybooks about Keyblades? I know some good books that – "

" Now, I would suggest that you not do that."

Roxas and Namine turned around in surprise. A tall man in a black coat stood before them, ominous and menacing. His hood was tightly drawn about his face, so they could see nothing but darkness.

" Who are you?" said Roxas in a hostile tone. He instinctively placed himself between the stranger and Namine, who was clutching her bag tightly.

The stranger laughed, his voice smooth and somewhat deadpan. " I am who I am, and I am who I am not."

" That doesn't make any sense!"

" Perhaps, perhaps not." The man held his hand out towards Roxas. " That girl behind you... has she become your... friend?"

Neither Roxas nor Namine answered, but Roxas was beginning to get tired of the strange man's attitude. " Look, I don't know who you are, but if you plan on hurting Namine, you better give it up," he spat.

The stranger cocked his head. " Hm." He snapped his fingers, and pink flower petals flew from them.

Suddenly, Roxas felt a sharp, icy force twist painfully in his chest. He cried out in pain and fell to his knees.

" Roxas?" Namine cried. She ran to his side and put a hand on his arm. " Roxas, are you-?"

" Fine," he managed to gasp out. " I-I don't know- ugh!" He clutched his chest and yelped in agony as the pain lanced through him again.

Feeling angered, Namine whirled on the stranger. " You're doing this to him!" she shouted. " Leave him alone!"

" I see... so you have acquainted with him..." The stranger chuckled sinisterly. " This may be easier than I thought. Roxas, you are not strong enough yet. But perhaps the darkness within you will show the way..." A black portal appeared around the man, strands of nothingness spread around him, and suddenly, he was gone.

Roxas struggled to his feet, relieved of the terrible pain within him. He tried to regain his breath, but he was so dizzy that he stumbled. Namine managed to brace him against her thin frame on time.

" Roxas, are you okay? Do you wanna go home?"she said worriedly.

He took a few deep breaths. " I should be fine... gotta get home..." He staggered to his skateboard and promptly fell over. Namine rushed to his side and helped him sit up.

" My house is closeby," she told him. " Closer than yours, I think. C'mon, you can rest up at my place!"

" But, your research –" Roxas protested weakly.

Namine put a finger on his lips. " That can wait!" she said reassuringly. She smiled. " Let's go. Just lean on me, it's not a far walk."

Despite her rather thin and fragile appearance, Namine was inventive. With a little bit of help from Roxas, she slung his skateboard across her back and tied a knot on the bag strap so it fit tightly about her, creating something like a skateboard sling. Then, with the weary Roxas leaning slightly on her shoulder, they walked slowly to her mansion.

Through his fatigue, Roxas saw the colossal mansion up ahead. _So she lives in that... _he thought in awe. It clearly had much space inside and many rooms, as well as a respectable garden in front, with a fountain as well. She led him through the gate and to the door, which she opened rather quickly without putting a key in or anything.

" Is your door unlocked all the time?" Roxas asked groggily. Namine said nothing, but instead changed the subject.

" We have a guest room down here, so you can relax there for now while I tell my uncle that you're here, so he won't be startled by a stranger in the house."

They entered the rather spacious room which was sparsely furnished. Roxas didn't look around though. He went straight to the bed, kicked off his shoes and sank into the covers. The energy drained from him, and he was asleep.

* * *

><p>Roxas was dreaming. He was sitting at the edge of a lake, looking down into the dark, dark depths. The water was crystal clear, and it was beautiful. Deep below, he saw a light. The light was so comforting, so gentle. He wanted its comfort. Roxas slipped into the water and began to swim down.<p>

It was clearly a dream because he could breathe under the water. The light was getting closer, and Roxas reached out to grab it. Suddenly, it was blotted out by black smoke. Roxas was choking, drowning in darkness.

" _The darkness within you will show the way..._" a voice hissed. Roxas tried to cough, but coughing while drowning meant the last of your air was being forced out. Darkness shrouded everything, and he was flailing in nothingness. He was becoming nothingness. He _was _nothingness.

* * *

><p>" Nooooo!" Roxas sat up, sucking up air greedily. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he wiped them away with his sleeve. The pillow behind him was damp.<p>

Just then, Namine entered the room. Her being seemed to glow with an angel-like quality after the dark, dark nightmare he just had. " Roxas? I heard you screaming. Is everything all right?"

Roxas sank back into the bed and nodded. " Yeah, it's just... just a nightmare."

She pushed a side-table closer to the bed. It had a phone on it. " I think you should call your brother," she said. " It's 5:30 right now."

Roxas' eyes widened. " Oh, crap. Sora doesn't know how to cook." He sat up quickly and groaned as his head began to ache. Namine frowned and sat on the bed beside him.

" Hey, take it easy," she said in concern. " Here." She handed him the phone and pushed him down. " Tell me the number and I'll dial it for you."

Roxas was embarrassed and slightly annoyed that he had to be dependant like this, but he figured that if Namine wanted to help, he should let her. Roxas recited his home phone number to her, and almost immediately after the first tone, Sora picked up.

" Hello?"

" Sora, it's Roxas."

" Roxas? Where the heck have you been? I was worried about you!"

Roxas did his best to relate the events that had just happened, then said, " I'll come home as quick as I can, because I know what a disaster you are at cooking. And I don't want our apartment burning down."

" You sure? I thought you didn't feel too good. Besides, Kairi is here," – there was a faint "Hi!" in the backround – "and Riku is too. They both know how to cook, and they're kinda teaching me."

Roxas sighed, half in relief, half in irritation that _they _got to teach Sora while Roxas was stuck at Namine's house – not to mention that he _just _met the girl.

" Okay then. Then I'll just come home when I feel well enough."

" 'Kay. Get better! Hope you don't have to sleep over there, 'cause it'd be weird being alone in the apartment."

Roxas almost muttered, " Well, Riku and Kairi can keep you company," but he thought better of it. " Good. See you later, Sora."

" Bye-ah."

He hung up, and Roxas did too. Namine was looking at him expectantly.

" I'm staying for a bit."

She appeared delighted, and then she quickly composed herself. " Okay. At least you can rest up. My uncle is fine with you staying, even though you're a boy," she added in a whisper.

Roxas nodded, his eyelids feeling heavy once more. He heard her say something about staying in the room to keep him company while she drew, and then the darkness of sleep took over.

* * *

><p>Yes, Namine, I totally relate to you about having boys over _ ah parents... well, they do what they do. Please review, they make my day!<p> 


	5. Stirrings in the Air

I almost made it to the deadline of updating every Sunday! Dx But fanfiction had errors that wouldn't allow me to log in... seems like fanfic has a lot of errors nowadays, huh? Oh, and a review shout-out for Crown xD even though you're anonymous, thanks for the review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

* * *

><p><span>Ch 4: Stirrings in the Air<span>

Sora popped the phone back onto the receiver and grinned at his two friends. " Well, he's okay! He'll probably come home later this evening."

" Okay," Kairi said. She beckoned to him. " Riku says we're gonna make shepherd's pie, so get your butt over here so you can learn!"

Their tall friend was busy peeling the potatoes. " That's right, half-pint," he chuckled. " I know it's your favourite."

" Hey, take that back, you!" Sora and Riku tussled playfully, while Kairi scolded them.

" Stop that! You'll knock over that pile of peelings if you play in the kitchen!"

There was an abrupt knocking on the door. The three friends looked at each other worriedly, then Sora said, " I'll go get it."

He opened the door, half expecting to see Roxas, but instead got a surprise.

"... Um?"

" I'm down here!"

Sora yelped and jumped backward. " Whoa!" Right where he had originally thought there was nobody at the door, a short mouse stood. The mouse had rather circular ears, black fur, and a cheery smile. He wore a red, yellow, orange, black and white outfit with a lot of zippers and belts.

" I'm sorry to bother you," the mouse said cordially. " But may I rest here for a bit? I've been walking around all day, and the inn is on the other side of Twilight."

Sora blinked and stepped aside. " Uh, yeah! I mean, sure, come right on in, mister...?"

" Mickey," the mouse said. " Call me Mickey."

Sora led the short mouse into the living room and offered a seat at the couch. Kairi and Riku turned around to see the newcomer. Riku gasped.

" Th-That's King Mickey!" he exclaimed. He quickly bowed, madly gesturing for Sora and Kairi to do the same. " C'mon, you guys, where are your manners?"

Mickey laughed. " Now, now, kids, you don't need to treat me like that. I'm just an ordinary person like you."

Sora smiled. He was beginning to like this Mickey person. " I'm Sora, and these are my friends, Riku, and Kairi."

" Would you like some water, Mickey?" Kairi offered him. The mouse nodded, smiling. " Yes, please." The king leapt up and made himself comfortable on the couch. Sora, unsure whether he should leave the king alone, sat on a different chair. Mickey gazed around with interest at his living room.

" Seems like a nice and comfortable place to be living," Mickey remarked and grinned. " It's so simple compared to where I live, but my castle is just fine."

Sora nodded. " Yeah? This place must seem puny to you."

Mickey's eye caught something on a shelf. " Oh! Who's that with you there, Sora? Are you related? He looks a lot like you."

" Oh, that." Sora walked over to the shelf and lifted the picture from its place. He showed it to Mickey. " This is my twin brother, Roxas. He's... out right now, but he should come back soon."

As Mickey took a better look at it, Sora suddenly thought about the picture. It was a photo of him and Roxas when they were not much older than five years old. The strangest thing was that Sora knew _someone _had taken the picture, because it was a perfect shot of his and Roxas' upper body. In the background was a beautiful sunset. Sora couldn't remember who took the picture, but he quickly dismissed the thought. _We must have given the camera to a stranger to take it for us. _

Kairi walked in with the glass of water. " So, King Mickey," she said cheerily, taking a seat on the other end of the couch. " Where do you come from?"

* * *

><p>It was around six o' clock when Roxas awoke. He was still in the guest room of Namine's mansion, and although he still felt a little funny, it was a huge improvement to how he was feeling earlier. The pain and lethargy was nothing but a memory. He sat up and yawned.<p>

Beside him, Namine had fallen asleep on the bed. She was slumped on it, still seated on her chair. Beside her was an open sketchbook. Roxas was suddenly curious. Even from a distance the drawing appeared to be quite detailed. He shifted his position on bed while being careful not to wake Namine and took a better look at the sketchbook.

It was a very nice drawing of a street in the Twilight District. It looked like Namine had been in the middle of adding yellows and browns before she fell asleep, and it was coming together quite nicely. Roxas whistled softly.

_What at amazing artist... _he thought in wonder. Even more curious, Roxas turned the page.

The next page showed several people drawn rather childishly yet rather distinctly. Although it lacked the detail of the previous picture, Roxas found himself marvelling at the colourful simplicity of it. As his eyes scanned over each person, his heart stopped when he saw one person in particular. Blue eyes, blond, spiky hair...

Roxas' heart flew to his throat. _That's me! But when did she draw this? And why did she draw two of me? Sora's here too... but who are those other people? Wait, isn't that Riku and Kairi? It looks like them. And that's Namine herself... Axel? And that must be Xion, I know those clothes. But who are the other two? I definitely don't know them._

Not wanting to be caught, Roxas hastily flipped the page back and made sure the sketchbook looked like it hadn't been moved at all. Roxas' timing was perfect. He had just enough time to glance at Namine's sleeping face before she began to stir.

" Roxas?" she mumbled. " How are you feeling?"

" Better," Roxas replied steadily. He slid off the bed and tested his feet. " Not wobbly anymore. I think I better go home now."

Namine nodded and stood, rubbing her eyes. " Yes, you should. It's getting late."

After hesitating for a few seconds, Roxas turned to her and said, " About that Keyblade research... despite the fact that I've grown up knowing it's a fairy tale, I'm starting to get a little interested in it. Perhaps we could go to the library tomorrow?"

Namine's eyes widened. " Oh! Would you really?"

" Yeah, why not? I'll meet you in front of the library at three thirty, how's that?"

" That's fine." Namine smiled softly.

Roxas and Namine walked to the front door, but before Roxas stepped outside. " Oh... by the way, I thought your drawing was beautiful."

He was careful not to say "drawings" by accident. Namine gasped softly at the compliment. " Thank you, Roxas, though I never through my drawings were that good..."

" No, really, they were!" He hopped deftly onto his skateboard. " Goodbye, Namine."

" Goodbye, Roxas. See you tomorrow."

Roxas skateboarded back as quickly as he could. With summer soon to arrive, the evening was still very bright. As he went along, with his schoolbag still slung over a shoulder, he began to softly sing an old tune he had learned a long time ago.

" _In your hand, take this key_

_ So as long as you have the makings_

_ Then through this simple act of taking_

_ Its wielder you shall one day be."_

He sang quietly, but quite tunefully. As the apartment came into view, he tried to finish the rest of the song.

" _And you will find me, friend_

_ No ocean will contain you then_

_ No more borders – "_

Roxas stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned back. He felt a strange prickling on his shoulder. Shaking his head, he sprinted up the steps till he reached his front door.

* * *

><p>Xion scowled as Filo yanked a hairbrush through her tangled, if not short, black hair. " You should brush your hair more often, Xion," Filo giggled. " And you have such nice hair too!"<p>

" But it's not like I have a lot of it," Xion protested. She wriggled from Filo and smoothed out her hair. " It's all right now."

The other girl sighed and smiled. " Okay then. Let's go back to into the base."

Xion nodded and followed Filo down an alley. About halfway through, they stopped. There were voices ahead, _in _the alley. They quickly retreated into the shadows.

" It's our job to _do _our job, you nitwit! Do you want to risk Marluxia's wrath? I doubt that," a woman's voice spoke.

" Okay, okay, geez, Larxene, calm down!" this time a man replied. " I just don't think I'm cut for the job, you know, having a, uh, cold and all... Ow!"

" Stop complaining! We're leaving for Twilight tonight!"

" Fine, but you didn't have to punch me! Colds give you bad aches in your bon- gack!"

" Shut up, Demyx, or I SWEAR I will kill you..."

The voices faded, leaving Xion and Filo perplexed and suspicious.

" Who do you think those people were?" Filo asked Xion.

" I don't know, and I didn't get a good look at them. Did you?"

" No, I was too scared to move."

The girls continued towards the door to the old hideout. They realized that they had been that close to having their precious home discovered by – who knows who? As they crept into the door, Xion peered over her shoulder and looked up, but there was nothing to see except a sliver of darkening sky.

Something was going on... but what?

* * *

><p>Yes, I'm afraid it's not that long. I'll make sure to keep building up on it so it doesn't get boring. The next few chapters might be slow. Please review, they make my day!<p> 


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